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Houston attains top ranking for world coffee imports
By
Frances Allday
The Port of Houston is well known for its high volume
imports of oil and steel, but not many Houstonians are aware that the Port
has become one of the top ranked coffee ports in the world. In 2001 the
Port of Houston Authority (PHA) placed a proposition on the ballot that
would exempt all green coffee and raw cocoa imports from the state
inventory tax. The PHA recognized that green or raw coffee beans were the
second largest traded commodity in the world and needed to be part of the
Port's future. The voters and legislature agreed, and passed the tax
exemption.
Houston's port was well equipped to handle high
volumes of coffee due to the size and location of its facilities. In
addition, Houston has three of the only four decaffeination plants in the
U.S. as well as a number of roaster and coffee-related companies. After
the tax exemption was granted, Houston joined the ranks of New York/New
Jersey, New Orleans, and Miami as a delivery point for the Coffee
"C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's
Coffee, Sugar, and Cocoa Exchange. In 2003 the Port of Houston was
officially designated a green coffee port.
Since then, the Port has consistently increased
its volume of coffee imports with the potential to reach 3.7 million bags
of coffee beans annually. According to the Greater Houston Coffee
Association, the coffee port designation has had a tremendous effect on
the local and regional economy. It has expanded employment opportunities
in the processing and servicing industries of coffee, which include the
roasting, packaging and warehousing of coffee beans.
Coffee importers and distributors have not only
benefited from the state tax exemption, but have also not had to pay U.S.
tariffs. Both raw and roasted coffee can be imported duty free regardless
of the country of origin. However, all coffee imports are still subject to
U.S. import laws and procedures for food products.
The coffee bean is actually the seed of a fruit
that grows on trees grown in over 70 countries. Most of these countries
are located around the equator. The best temperature range for coffee is
between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with at least six inches or more of
rainfall per month. South American countries comprise the largest coffee
growing areas in the world with Brazil and Columbia the top producers. The
top ten coffee exchange countries through the Port of Houston are
Columbia, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Germany, Peru, Guatemala, Sweden,
Honduras, and Vietnam.
Coffee beans are hand picked by manual laborers
in some of the most remote and inaccessible regions of the world where
conditions are harsh and the oxygen is thin. Although most coffee is made
from the robusta bean grown at lower altitudes, the arabica bean used for
gourmet coffee is grown at high altitudes. From these regions the beans
are transported to ships that sail into the Port of Houston and unloaded
into warehouses, mostly in the east end of town. From there the beans will
be distributed to roasting and blending plants which will package and ship
bags of coffee to retail and wholesale outlets. So remember, that hot cup
of coffee in the morning has made a long journey to reach your table.
Frances Allday was a specialist in commercial trade
with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for 25 years
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